U.S. railroads' intermodal traffic edged up in Week 32

Although total freight-rail traffic declined 6.7 percent to 497,397 carloads and intermodal units during the week ending Aug. 8, Association of American Railroads (AAR) data indicate a slight uptick in U.S. railroads' intermodal volume compared with the same week in 2019.

U.S. railroads logged 277,054 containers and trailers for the week, up 1.9 percent compared with year-ago levels. Carloads totaled 220,343, down 15.6 percent, AAR officials said in a press release.

One of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase during the week: Grain was up 773 carloads to 22,081. Commodity groups that posted decreases included coal, down 18,113 to 59,328; nonmetallic minerals, down 11,269 to 30,706; and metallic ores and metals down 6,591 to 15,754.

Meanwhile, Canadian railroads reported 70,663 carloads for the week, down 12.9 percent, and 69,338 intermodal units, down 2.8 percent. Mexican railroads reported 19,818 carloads, down 5.4 percent, and 16,395 intermodal units, down 15.9 percent.

Individual Class Is reported the following carload volumes during the week compared with a year ago: BNSF Railway Co., 82,023 carloads, down from 98,590; CN, 56,128, down from 63,596; Canadian Pacific, 29,117, down from 33,487; CSX, 60,555, down from 69,047; Kansas City Southern, 12,827, down from 14,472; Norfolk Southern Railway, 53,328, down from 67,643; and Union Pacific Railroad, 82,653, down from 95,603.

For the first 32 weeks of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019:
• U.S. railroads posted 14,534,950 carloads and intermodal units, down 12.4 percent;
• Canadian railroads logged 4,428,998 carloads, containers and trailers, down 8.5 percent; and
• Mexican railroads reported 1,085,372 carloads and intermodal units, down 10.8 percent.